Heaven's Sword, Spirit's Heart
by Jade Tatsu
Summary: What did Hiko think when Kenshin came for further training and why did he agree to do it even though he knew the cost?
1. Heaven's Sword, Spirit's Heart

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin (C) characters belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro (All Hail), Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and perhaps some others but most definitely not to me. I am borrowing characters without asking permission and I am not making any money out of this. Also I am not worth suing as I am a broke student.   
I hope anyone who takes the time to read this will enjoy it. 

Huge thanks to Sylvia for reading it through and for loaning me the Manga so that I could see what was happening even if I couldn't read it. General huge thanks to everyone who puts out summaries and translations of the Manga. Now if it would come out printed in English in Australia I would be happy! 

Spoilers for the Kyoto Arc from the Manga episodes 84, 85, 94, 95, 96, 97. (Although I think just about everyone already knows what happened then!) Hiko's training of Kenshin. That's basically what the spoiler is. Of course there are bits which I have added! ^_^ Slight Revenge Arc spoiler. A name and an implication. 

Heaven's Sword, Spirit's Heart 

By Jade One 

_ Pathetic. _Hiko Seijuro turned away from his student, sensing him revert to the Rurouni from the Hitokiri Battousai. "Take one night. Until morning, search your heart and find the part of you that you lack. If you can't do that, in mastering the ultimate technique, you really will be throwing away your life." _I thought I taught him better than this. Still, this will force the choice to be made..._   
Hiko returned to his house and sighed. While his baka deshi was like this there was no point in passing on the technique. And for a student who had learned so well in the past the gift of a night was acceptable. The technique, if learnt was the ultimate technique but both Master and Deshi had to be prepared. Hiko ate a light meal before settling down to wait for the night to pass. He slowly sipped his sake.   
Nineteen years ago. It had all begun nineteen years ago. The journey to this night. 

He hadn't stopped here before, but the shop looked clean enough and their prices were reasonable. Then he remembered. He had been in this area about a week ago. A memory of red hair and violet eyes _That boy... The least I can do is check that he got here._   
The shop keeper returned, carrying a jar of sake. There was no need to look for someone who would be able to answer his questions. Shop keepers as a rule _had_ to know what was happening and what had happened in the vacinity of their stores or they would never survive.   
_Ara? _"He didn't come this way?"   
"Not so much as a cat's been to the village, much less a boy."   
He thanked the man, paying for his sake, turning away and leaving the village. He had no reason to stay here and he did have something he could do. _Did he despair of the world and commit suicide?... But that happens often too. Even wielding a blade, following the precepts of the Hiten Mitsurugi school, in the end I couldn't save anyone. It's happened so many times. An age warped more towards madness with each passing day, infested with villains that I kill and kill like flies._   
His sword had shone silver, tracing the arc. Four men fell to the ground. They were worthless. He owed them no mercy. He had continued forward, his sword swung in the practised arcs of his technique. This was the only thing he could do for the people to help them in this world but he knew that this lot would not be the last. These were probably just the beginning. Worthless, honorless men who prayed on those who had no one to defend them, except me. He sighed._ It will only get worse from now on. The only thing I can really do is lay the victims' body to rest..._   
He had taken the path that would take him to the site of the battle from a week ago. Not that from his point of view it could be called a battle. The bandits hadn't even been light exercise. But it was all he could do.   
_Nani...? _A week had passed since he had been here. This clearing was out of the way, but the soil was over turned into small mounds and was covered by crosses. Roughly made but their meaning was obvious. The only other living person who knew of this fight, who knew of the mess, was the child and they couldn't, wouldn't have done this, would they? So who had buried the corpses?   
It was then that he felt them.   
The sense of another living being, the boy.   
The child stood in the centre of the clearing, in much the same position he had left him. Three stones were before him. Graves but for who? His family? He walked through the crosses coming to a stop behind the boy. He didn't move.   
"You dug graves not just for your parents but for the bandits too?"   
The boy responded in a tired voice, one that was light but sad. "They weren't my parents. They were slavers. My parents died last year of cholera. But even bandits and slavers are only bodies when they die... so I made them graves."   
_Ano? He had dug them all graves? Perhaps... perhaps this boy would be the one... _He had seen the boy's hands then. They were covered in dirt and small scratches. He had used the only tools he had available to him. It must have hurt terribly._ The boy had known death but still held compassion. That was good._   
"These three stones?"   
"Miss Kasumi, Miss Akane and Miss Sakura. They were taken from their families because of debts. I only met them the day before, but I was the only boy and we didn't have any parents. I thought even if it cost me my life, I had to protect them." His voice was again soft. But Hiko had heard a note of determination in it that he had rarely seen, even in adults. The boy was more than he looked. But to sacrifice himself like that..?   
"But..."   
"I looked for good stones for their graves but these were the only ones I could find. I looked for flowers too, but I couldn't find any..." the boy continued as if Hiko had said nothing.   
_He _is _the one. He will inherit all that I have to teach. He was so young but yet... There is something so serious about this boy, something adult, a depth of understanding about life that few reach in a lifetime._   
Hiko stepped forward. His face was grave. He reached for the sake's cork and began pouring it over the stones. If he remembered and understood the boy correctly, these graves were for the women who had been begging the bandits to spare the boy. They had been trying to protect him and he in turn had stayed with their bodies ensuring that their rest would be as peaceful as he could grant. _Yes, this boy is definitely the one. But those who had tried to protect him deserve their due respect._   
"Man or woman, it would be a shame to attain Buddha hood without knowing the taste of good sake. It's an offering from me," he told the boy as he turned his violet gaze on him curiously. _Ano? I can't just call him the boy._ "What's your name, boy?"   
"Shinta..." came the response. The boy was obviously wondering why he had asked and probably didn't know what to do.   
"That's no name for a swordsman. From now on, you're called Kenshin." He had looked down at the child, seeing his eyes, curious, surprised and despite the pain he must have felt in his short life, still capable of compassion, of love. _Yes, with training the name will be appropriate and Kenshin will grow strong to protect others who needed it.I hope he'll grow. He'll need to. He doesn't even reach my waist. _"I'll teach you all I know." They stood together in the setting sun, their forms casting long shadows. 

Hiko sipped his sake. "That was nineteen years ago... and now, whether he masters the technique or not, he'll say farewell to this life tomorrow..." It was the way of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. 

The night passed and the dawn broke. Master and student of the sword faced each other, both looking the worse for wear after their respective nights lack of sleep. Each of them noted the others fatigue.   
"You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night."   
"So do you."   
A leaf flickered between them in the silence and an agreement was reached. They moved to water trough. This training was too important for either to be fatigued. _Che! The water's cold!_   
They stood backs to each other.   
"So... did you discover what it is you lack?" The question had to be asked, although Hiko doubted his deshi had found his answer yet.   
"No..."   
_Not yet, but there is still time for answer to be found. And either he will or he will die._   
"I see. So after all, you are a man with limits here. You did not find what you lack. Incomplete as you are, mastering the succession technique or defeating the Shishio faction is meaningless." He reached to his shoulders, removing his cloak, letting the weighted cloth fall to the ground. There would be no holding back now. "Even if you devoted yourself to defeating them, you could not defeat the Hitokiri who lives in your heart. Tormented by anguish and pain your whole life, you'd kill. Instead of the succession technique, prepare for the worst. My final duty as your master." _The only mercy I can grant you, Shinta._   
He swung his sword, freed from restraint. Kenshin felt the force of the blow despite the distance. A furrow was gouged in the ground and the mantle went flying, over his deshi's head. Kenshin noted the clang as it hit the ground and the metal parts within it. _He always did notice the smallest things._   
"A white cloak set with springs opposing the muscles and 10 kan (37.5 kg, about 80 pounds) of shoulder weights." He stepped over the furrow his sword had made. "It's been used by those who hold the name of Hiko Seijuro to restrain the inheritor of the Hiten Mitsurugi's power in times of peace. Prepare yourself, Kenshin." _No mercy. It is the way of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Either he will master the technique or not. Just as it was for me... just as it has always been._ He narrowed his eyes, projecting his killing ki. 

_ He looks surprised, afraid. This is the first time he has seen _me. _His hand is shaking. Good. He has all the ability to master the technique, if he can recognize and act upon the last requirement. He has the desire, the reason, all that remains is to see if he can make the connection._   
Kenshin clenched his hand into a fist, sweet beading on his face as he saw his Master walk towards him. His eyes narrowed, determined but still lacking the resolve that would be reflected if he had recognized the final power that was inherent in all warriors.   
_There is no other way. _"Let's go." _Either way the Hitokiri Battousai dies here even if Himura Kenshin does not survive. It is the way of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and it is a final mercy..._   
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Kuzu Ryu Sen." The nine headed dragon.   
Hiko saw Kenshin's eyes snap open. He knew what his deshi was seeing. The nine heads of the dragon and the tenth point of death.   
Hiko barred his teeth and growled, intent only on hitting his deshi with the full force of his attack. No hatred. No mercy. Only nine strikes to the body to be delivered at once.   
He saw his deshi's eyes open wider, his iris's wide and his own teeth bared and almost smiled, even as his deshi twisted, reaching for his blade._ Heh! I'm as good a teacher as I thought I was._   
The impact slammed into the ground echoing outwards, rising dust. _He did it. _The leaves fell around them.   
"That's it..." He could feel his deshi's surprise, hear the rustle of fabric as Kenshin turned to regard his back. "That's good." His strike had been perfect. "You who killed and stole many lives held remorse and a sense of guilt. You thought nothing of your own life. You hid the fact that yours too is just another human life." Hiko stood, relaxing his stand. "This held back your own strength. That was how you allowed the Hitokiri to build a nest in your heart. When you surmounted this, you discovered in between life and death the will to live you lacked."   
He sighed, turning to face his student even as he felt his shirt part along the path of the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki.   
"With the Buddha's benevolence you sacrificed yourself to protect the weak and those you loved. Left in sadness, they could not truly be happy." _He looks worried. _"In the dangers of the age, in the passion of violence, quietly laying down your life is utterly insignificant in the ever- flowing passage of time. There is nothing stronger than the will to live... Never forget that." He relaxed his eyes. There was no need to continue to regard his deshi as an enemy. _He did it. I'm so proud. Himura Kenshin survives._ "You'll be able to use the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki freely and well." _The Hitokiri Battousai is dead. My deshi, my son, Kenshin survives._ Hiko smiled at his deshi."You won't lose to the Shishio faction or even to the Hitokiri inside you."   
"Master."   
Hiko smiled, closing his eyes. _I guess Kamiya will be happy. _His smile widened at the memory. 

"Maybe it was a mistake to teach you the Hiten Mitsurugi at all." The brat's had burst in at that point. He had sensed people outside but since they were not any threat he had ignored them continuing to berate his student, loudly. Perhaps he had been curious to see what they would do. People usually didn't wander around his part of the mountain unless they had some business with him.   
"What was that just now?!"   
"Who are you?" _Well, I'm right as usual. They are no threat but who are they and what do they want? _He kept his facial expression bored noting the surprise on his deshi's face, listening as he introduced the young brats who had so momentously entered.   
"Misao-dono. Yahiko..." _First names? _A third figure appeared and it was then that his deshi's expression became truly surprised. The woman was slightly shorter than Kenshin. Her long hair was confined and she stood in the centre of the door with her hands folded before her. She was beautiful, in an innocent way. Her eyes looked to Kenshin and held only hope and an anguish brought by separation.   
"Kaoru-dono..." His deshi whispered, surprise on his face but a warmth in his heart. 

He had looked so pole axed. _She will be good for him, especially after... Tomoe..._   
_He looks worried now, frightened and worried._ "Don't worry. It is the destiny of the master and student of the sword in the passing down of the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki. Don't think of it as breaking your vow..." He gasped, breaking off as his chest exploded into pain. The full extend of the attacks power was illustrated on his body.   
"Master!!!" The voice was anguished.   
"Eergh!" Hiko tensed. _A little longer. I have to hold on a little longer, pass on the final instructions... _"The Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki is the strongest technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi school." _Hurts. _Hiko opened his eyes, regarding his newly graduated student. No hatred showed in his eyes, just pride. "You master it in exchange for the life of your predecessor. As master and student of the sword, all I've taught you ends here." _Che. Argh. Hurts. _Hiko blinked. _I guess I know what my Shishou felt now._ "After this, as a vagabond, you'll..."   
Hiko's breath escaped as he lost his battle against his damaged body, falling forwards. His last task in passing on the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique was completed.   
"SHISHOU!!!" 

"Shishou!" The word was the last thing Hiko Seijuro could remember. It had been anguished, full of grief and disbelief. Hiko felt his body. There were various small aches which came from falling flat on your face but the most pain came from his chest. _Pain?... Did the dead feel pain? Am I dead? My deshi is the only being who could muck up the Ogui so much that it is not fatal._   
Hiko rolled over and sat up. Being sprawled on the ground was not a dignified position for the Master of Hiten Mitsurugi to be in. Dead or alive. It was then that he saw his surroundings. _Well, I guess that answers _that_ question _he thought, bringing his hand to his chest, tentatively feeling the wound his deshi had inflicted. The wound was vicious, a huge slash running diagonally from hip to shoulder but that was what the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki was supposed to do. It was designed so that no one got up after being hit with it. _Well at least he learnt it. _The pain was fading. _But this isn't what I expected of death._   
Hiko smirked. He could almost hear his Shishou's voice, "The attack you expect and block is not always the attack which arrives. So is it with life, deshi."   
The world was white. Not blindingly white but a soft misty white which completely surrounded him. He seemed to be sitting, which at least provided some bearing for him but he had the oddest feeling that the floor, such as it was, was an adaptation created by his mind to provide him with some point of stability. The familiar weight of his sword was at his waist. _Ano?..._ His sword hadn't been there an instant ago. Yet even as he watched a familiar pile of fabric coalesced out of the mist. A white cape, lined in red and weighted for the protection for the people._ I guess my self image is formed completely by my expectations here._ Hiko reached out taking up his cloak and swinging its accustomed weight on to his shoulders, using the movement to stand. Given that both his sword and cloak had appeared, it was probably time to move on through this world.   
As he stood, the pain in his chest completely disappeared. He looked down and saw that the wound was gone. His shirt too was whole. _Well this world has its ups and downs. As the thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu I have no wish to look like a ruffian, even if I am dead. I have a reputation to uphold and my Shishou would probably kill me himself if he saw me. Demo... _The world looked so boring and empty.   
He sighed. That his genius should come to this! There seemed to be no one and nothing here that he could pick a fight with. Hiko looked around but the view was the same in all directions. Randomly picking a direction he began walking. Still even if there was anything in this mist, he doubted that it would provide much of a challenge to him and his skills. Death was the price demanded of teaching the ultimate technique to your successor but it was one he had been prepared to pay.   
It was Kenshin's time to carry on the school. 

End Part One 

Review Please! 


	2. Heaven's Sword, Spirit's Heart Chpt 2 of...

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin (C) characters belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro (All Hail), Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and perhaps some others but most definitely not to me. I am borrowing characters without asking permission and I am not making any money out of this. Also I am not worth suing as I am a broke student.   
I hope anyone who takes the time to read this will enjoy it. 

Huge thanks to Sylvia for reading it through and for loaning me the Manga so that I could see what was happening even if I couldn't read it. General huge thanks to everyone who puts out summaries and translations of the Manga. Now if it would come out printed in English in Australia I would be happy! 

Spoilers for the Kyoto Arc from the Manga episodes 84, 85, 94, 95, 96, 97. (Although I think just about everyone already knows what happened then!) Hiko's training of Kenshin. That's basically what the spoiler is. Of course there are bits which I have added! ^_^ Slight Revenge Arc spoiler. A name and an implication. 

Heaven's Sword, Spirit's Heart Part 2 

By Jade One 

He hadn't gone very far, at least he didn't think he had, when two figures appeared hazily in the mists before him. It was hard to keep track of time when nothing changed, not even his footfalls made a sound and so he couldn't determine how long he had been walking for. He stopped waiting for them to come closer. The whiteness seemed to thin, creating an open area around him and the two men approaching him. One of them dropped back, waiting at the edge of the clearing. The other continued forward, coming to a halt before him, out of range of his sword. They weren't threatening in any way and were the first forms of life Hiko Seijuro the thirteenth had seen since arriving in the mist. He was prepared to be civil.   
"Humph! I'm surprised there's no halo. All of the successors are so sure of themselves... Not that they shouldn't be demo..." the man trailed of, shaking his head, before raising his head and looking Hiko straight in the eye. "So you're Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth."   
_Ano? How did he know...? _He wasn't surprised at being identified as Hiko Seijuro but being identified as the thirteenth master straight off was not something he thought would be possible. He didn't wear a sign saying 'Thirteenth Master' did he?   
Hiko looked at the pair. The man who had spoken was tall. His long black hair was tied neatly in a samurai's top knot. His eye's were experienced but still held kindness and compassion. The armour he wore was strictly functional although it was highlighted in places with ornate trim. Beneath the armour his body was that of a practised swordsman. Infact, he wore his daisho, with an unconcern which made them seem a part of him. His posture indicated surety and belief in himself and his abilities. His whole aura spoke of arrogance. He also wore the mantle of a Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Master but he was not the twelfth. Hiko did not know him.   
The other man was of a smaller build. His hair had been cut short and slicked back in a more modern style. He wore a white gi and black blue hakama. The attire was customary of a dojo master. He had the same confidence as the Hiko but it was different. Hiko narrowed his eyes, concentrating, he almost felt like a more refined version of... _No that can't be right. _Something told him that this man was equal to a Hiten Master but in a different way.   
Hiko was sure that any attack directed at either man would be met and returned, although he felt that the return from the second man would be unusual and not anything he in turn could counter. Still, Hiko didn't feel like playing and he doubted they did. Neither of them felt threatening, although there was something intimidating about the Hiko Seijuro. A sense of absolute confidence. However, the fact that they had appeared before him bespoke purpose. The second man hung back as if giving the Hiko's privacy.   
Hiko Seijuro the somethingth stepped to the side, his cloak moving an instant after him, flowing smoothly. Hiko immediately moved in defence. It was not that he was expecting an attack but rather the training that had been drummed into him by his master.   
"Oh stay still and let me get a look at you boy," the newcomer snapped. "Che, cloaks annoying." The man made a gesture and Hiko felt the mantle he wore disappear back into the mist. The Hiten Master continued to walk around Hiko, keeping his distance but Hiko could hear his murmured comments. "...more muscular... ...cloak is heavier... ...perhaps not best way... ...but effective restraint..."   
Hiko examined the man as best he could. The man was strong and he was obviously a good swords man. He had to be to have taken the name Hiko Seijuro and the mantle but if he was a Master from the past it stood to reason that he, Hiko the thirteenth would be stronger since each Master was forced to add further weight to the cloak. He wasn't going to challenge the man but it was good to know where everyone stood.   
"I guess you pass, Kenshin."   
_Nani...? How did...? _Hiko started in surprise.   
"Oh get that expression off your face. The name Kenshin's been passed down to the deshi that will inherit the school for quite some time. Although your deshi has held it the longest." The Hiko smiled fondly, as if remembering something. "The name suits him." He looked back at the recovering Hiko, "Oh for the love of..." He sounded exasperated. "Would you prefer if I called you Sho?"   
That did it. That seemingly innocent comment was what finally shook Hiko to his core. How did this man know these things? No one, no one at all, but he and his Master knew he had once been called Sho. "I would prefer if you called me Hiko Seijuro," he snapped back.   
The man looked pleased. "Nope... Can't do that, that's my name."   
"I'm aware of _that,_" Hiko ground out. "Hiko Seijuro the ...?" He trailed off.   
"The ...?" The man assumed an air of innocence. He was obviously enjoying himself.   
"I am the thirteenth inheritor of the name Hiko Seijuro and the Hiten techniques, hence the name, Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth. And you are Hiko Seijuro the ...?" Hiko got the strong feeling that he was the only one who did not know what was happening here. It was not a sense he enjoyed.   
"Oh _that,_" understanding dawned on the Masters face. "My apologies for not properly introducing myself. I'm Hiko Seijuro."   
"Hai but which one?"   
"Hiko Seijuro." The man repeated.   
"Which one?"   
"For a man who is supposedly intelligent you seem to be having a hard time accepting the fact that my name is Hiko Seijuro."   
"I'm not disputing that. I would just like to know which Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu you are."   
"Oh," the man flashed a genius grin before frowning, taking on a look of contemplation. "I guess I could say Hiko Seijuro the first but that seems so presumptuous. Besides, Hiko Seijuro is _my_ name, I don't or at least I shouldn't need to distinguish myself from others who have taken my name. It's the other way round. It's _them_ who need to distinguish themselves from me."   
The thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu only vaguely heard any of the reasoning after the man had said "the first." _This is... He is... This is the man who developed the Hiten Mitsurugi technique. He is... _To say he was surprised was putting it mildly.   
"You were cruel about that Hiko-san," the man in the background stated.   
"Oh not really. Let me play a bit. I only get to do this once a generation and even you have to admit that his expression is priceless!"   
Sho slowly began to get their thoughts under control. _No wonder he radiates that absolute confidence. I may be physically stronger in the Hiten technique but he_ invented _it. He'd probably see anything I tried coming a mile off and have it blocked and be counter attacking with some form that I can't block before I even knew what hit me. _He reassessed the man and his chances of winning a battle against him. "Well I guess you calling me Sho is acceptable then," he said recovering his voice.   
"I was certain you'd see it that way."   
"To avoid any more embarrassment, may I ask who your companion is?"   
Hiko sighed, looking slightly embarrassed, but Sho couldn't determine about what. "Hmmm... He is... That is... Arhh..." He fumbled around for a while.   
"You make it sound like I'm your lover, Hiko-san. I'm not, my wife is waiting for me to come home." The man was very firm about this statement. "I, Sho-san, am merely a necessary third party to this meeting, and if your master can control himself, he can explain why my presence is required," the man responded in Hiko's place, addressing Sho for the first time.   
Hiko looked even more embarrassed but managed to continue. "Hiten Mitsurugi is a very good technique, physically." He sounded slightly disgusted. "It is the strongest budo after all, however once you die, techniques change and the ultimate physical technique doesn't really stand up to the ultimate spiritual technique once you become a spirit. I mean, all of us have some ability here but someone who was trained in life to use their spirit as their weapon has a distinct advantage. I can hold my soul in place long enough to talk to you but I can't hold the environment or your soul stable enough for a long enough period of time to actually be able to have the conversation so that is what he is doing. Holding everything together so that we can talk." Hiko turned to look at the 'necessary third party.' "Is that a good enough explanation?"   
"You don't need to sound so insulted that I can do something you can't. No technique, no matter how much you wish it to be is perfect on all levels. I fully admit that against your technique on earth my only real chance would be to hope I can run faster than you. As far as your explanation goes, it's adequate for this situation," The man answered sounding amused at Hiko's admission of a fault or rather a deficiency in the technique he had worked so hard to develop.   
_This is a spirit Master._ "So what is your name?"   
"Ah..." it was his turn to look embarrassed. "Let's just say my name is Kamiya and leave it at that. Information about me is not something you need to know and is not what we are here to discuss." He answered evasively, obviously ill at ease to be forced to identify himself.   
_Kamiya? As in Kamiya Kaoru? _Sho would have inquired further but got the strong impression that neither individual was willing to discuss the topic. It was time to get on with whatever purpose they had here.   
"So then, why are you here?"   
"We're here to discuss you. Well, you and your future."   
"I don't have a future. I'm dead. I passed on the final technique of Hiten and like all previous Masters died in doing so. But that's okay, my deshi is capable enough, when he puts his mind to it."   
Hiko laughed. "Well, I'm glad a Master's opinion of his student hasn't changed much. But you're wrong. You're in limbo. For the first time since I developed the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki, one of the Master's gets a choice."   
"A choice..?"   
"None of the successors of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu have _wanted _to kill their Shishou's. Not even you, correct?"   
"Hai..." Sho answered quietly. Although he understood now that it had been necessary, it was not a moment of his life he was proud of.   
"Your deshi is the same. But he, or rather you have some choice in the matter. That sword of his, a sakabatou gives some lee way in the matter of life and death." Hiko broke off with a sigh.   
"What is it?"   
"Oh, a sakaba was one of the methods I considered using as a restraint for Hiten's power. It didn't work too well. I broke plenty of bones but no one learnt their lesson. They just came back after healing so I ended up having to kill for the protection of people. I came up with the weighted cloak after that. It seems to have been adequate and quite useful in strengthening my inheritors."   
"A sword is a weapon. It is meant to kill."   
"A sword is a weapon. But it can be wielded for defence. It does not _have_ to kill," Kamiya broke in.   
"A sword is a weapon. It's use is dictated by its owner. We can argue about the correct use all day but that wouldn't be very constructive. We can sit down one day and really fight it out some time later."   
"Hai, hai... You mentioned a choice?"   
"Your choice. Between your deshi's sword, his vow not to kill and the fact that he completely mastered the technique at his first attempt and so has complete control over the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki, you don't have to die."   
"You sound surprised that he completely mastered it? I have always known Kenshin was that good. I never let _him_ know that of course."   
"Of course I'm surprised. Complete control indicates that he had absolute control over its speed, force, timing, _everything_. Not even all my successors can claim that. It is something that is usually developed after attaining the mantle. Complete control on the first attempt is _very_ impressive. He hit you with just enough power to stop your Kuzu Ryu Sen. Naturally I'm happy that my technique is in such good hands. But this does not answer the question of your choice." Hiko's expression became firm as he looked Sho straight in the eye. "Do you want to die?"   
"What type of question is that? Of course I don't want to die. I still have the will to live, nothing has changed since the time I learnt the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki."   
"Well, several things have. Your student is..., how did you put it? Ah yes, 'quite capable.' So you don't have to live to pass on the technique, you already did that. Is just living a good enough reason for you to return?"   
"Of course it is! Just because I've fulfilled my duty as Hiten Mitsurugi Master does not mean I'm worthless. I can do other things. Besides which, I'm not sure my deshi would be too happy knowing he had killed me. He may even kill himself for breaking his vow. Plus he'll need to be pushed before he passes on the technique so I'd say there is still plenty of reasons for me to continue. Add to those, the fact that although I was prepared to die passing on the final technique, I don't want to and what more reason do I need to continue living? It'll keep my deshi humble."   
"It will at that. I wonder if the world is ready for two Hiten Masters?"   
"It's going to have to be."   
"Heh! Well, I guess you can have this back now," Hiko said, offering his successor the mantle he had removed earlier. "You'd better get going. If you ask Kamiya-san nicely, he may even point you in the right direction. See you later."   
"Mare mare. I'll do that anyway. I don't need a Hiko Seijuro running around between life and death. I shudder to think of the damage that could be caused. But I have one thing to do first," Kamiya said approaching Hiten Masters. The mists seemed to close in around them.   
He stood before the Thirteenth Master. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, before reaching up to lay his finger tips on Hiko's forehead. There was a whispered comment, "I'm glad Kenshin is shorter," before he spoke again in a tone of absolute command. "Forget," he demanded, looking deep into Hiko's eyes, placing the restraints on his mind. "Forget and remember only when the Dragon and Flower merge. Forget."   
The mist rose around them, becoming thicker, almost a solid barrier. They were making him sleepy. "Forget," a voice whispered as his eyes closed and he fell back into the mist. He didn't feel himself hit the ground. 

He kept his eyes closed, sensing his surroundings, making no movement to signal that he was awake. Years of training had taught him this. There was nothing threatening that he could sense although there was a familiar presence nearby. He identified it as his baka deshi._ Hmm I guess this means I'm still alive._ _Yep. Kenshin is the only being who could muck up the Ogui and waste years of my training to a point where the ultimate technique is not fatal. _Not that he was complaining. His deshi had learnt the technique. He couldn't remember anything that said in the teachings of Mitsurugi that the Master had to die so that the student could graduate. It just hadn't happened yet that the Master had survived the teaching of the Ogui. _My genius shows through again._   
Hiko cautiously opened his eyes. He had felt that he was lying on something hard, covered with a blanket but now he knew he was lying on the pallet in his hut. His deshi was asleep against the far wall. Hiko smiled at him. He had learnt the technique completely. That was good. Even if his chest was going to take weeks to heal completely.   
Hiko got up, carefully so as not to open his wound and not to disturb his deshi. He changed his clothes, fastening his mantle to his shirt last. He found the small bag of herbs he keep for emergencies and tasted his mouth. _That's why there's not as much pain as there should be._   
He then spotted Kenshin's sword. A sakabatou, a form of restraint. He frowned. There was something he was forgetting but he couldn't imagine what. Hiko picked up the sword. He had already seen that it was a master work of Shakkuu-san. _Ah! That explains it. The combination of my genius and a master sword with a lose rivet explains why the technique did not kill. Not that he couldn't kill if he wanted to. _Hiko narrowed his eyes, looking to his deshi. He'd been up and moving about. Wasn't he going to wake up? It was time to fix that.   
He stood before Kenshin. _It looks like he really is asleep, if he doesn't wake to my presence._ Hiko lifted his boot. It was time Kenshin left anyway. _One kick ought to be enough._   
_ "_Are you going to waste the whole day? There's a lot of people waiting for your return. So quit lollygagging and get off my mountain."   
"Shishou!"   
_Well, he looks relieved. Nani..? _He stepped aside, avoiding his on coming pupil.   
"The day hasn't dawned when I'd be happy to hug a man. Don't jump around like that."   
"Demo... I'm glad the medicine worked."   
"What? This stuff? It's just a placebo."   
"But... well..? why..?"   
_Yes his expression is worth it. "_It was probably the sword."   
Hiko held the blade out for Kenshin to see, pointing to the rivet. "Look here. The rivet protrudes, so whether it's drawn or not the actual blade will shake just enough. As a result, the blade itself can absorb and weaken the power of the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki. It's responsive to the feelings of its wielder. It's a good blade." _It should be, Shakkuu-san made it._   
"If I may say it again, my genius wasn't wasted in training you to make use of everything the sword can offer you," he said with a nonchalant flick of his arm. "So the passing down of the secret techniques is finished. As your experience tells you, the Ama Kakeru Ryu No Hirameki can kill even with the reverse blade." He threw the sword back to its owner. "As a vagabond, you must control the force and speed of the technique." _Nani? He's still here?_ "Now quit hanging around and get off the mountain. People are waiting for you." 

The End.   
I hope people liked it. Comments are welcomed.   
Review Please! 


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